Girls' second-degree burns blamed on limes, sun combo

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By ABC7

LEMOORE, Calif.

Jewels, Jazmyn, Bailey, Candy and Reyghan, aged 7 to 11, were playing in the backyard when they decided to pick limes from their neighbor's tree. They then spent the next few hours making lime and lemonade, getting the juice all over the place.

The next day the girls woke up in excruciating pain from rashes and blisters on their faces, hands, arms, and legs.

"It hurt so bad it felt like there was a hundred needles just going in one spot," Jewels said. "We never thought lime could actually burn our skin like acid. Probably the worst pain I've ever felt."

The girls suffered second-degree burns from the acid in those limes combined with hours of direct sunlight. It's actually a condition called phytophotodermatitis. The girls spent days in the ICU on morphine for pain.

Doctors say these rashes are more common than people realize.

As for how to prevent it, they say to wear sunscreen and wash your hands before you go out in the sun.